1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to skirting for manufactured or mobile homes, and more particularly relates to skirt framing for use in holding a skirting material on or near the ground of a manufactured or mobile home.
2. Description of the Related Art
Manufactured homes, also known as mobile homes, modular homes or pre-manufactured homes have been known for many years and are commonly installed by being placed on concrete slabs or concrete footings or even on cinder blocks. Typically, the peripheral lower edges of the mobile home structures are unsupported. This will leave a gap between these unsupported lower edges and the ground. This gap in the past has been covered by a non-load bearing skirt fabricated from metal or other synthetic materials to simply provide a more pleasing appearance for the mobile home. However, over extended periods of time, the peripheral edges of these buildings will warp, sag or buckle and the skirts are generally not structurally sufficient enough to prevent this form of deterioration. There have been many attempts at different types of brackets to secure the skirting to the lower portion of the mobile home. Generally, the brackets are attached to the outside of the manufactured home and tend not to have any added arm support to keep the skirting material in proper position during adverse weather conditions or any other warping of the manufactured building. Also known in the art is to stake the bracket into the ground such that the manufactured building skirting does not move and is not blown away during inclement weather. However, this can prove to be time consuming and expensive and the staking can easily come out of the ground with freeze and thaw cycles.
Other prior art skirting methods include some type of adjustable studs where the studs are attached to the rim of the home and the bottom of the stud to the ground with spikes or rebar. The connection of the bottom of the studs to the ground generally does not last a long time and will eventually create an unpleasant appearance.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a skirt framing system that will connect to the mobile home and provide a cost effective and pleasing appearance for the skirting attached to the lower end of a mobile home through all adverse weather conditions and be dependable for numerous years.
One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved skirt framing system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a skirt framing system that is adjustable via a pivot from a top track, which is attached to a mobile home.
Yet a further advantage of the present invention is to provide a more rigid edge for attaching the skirting to the skirt framing.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to have a suspended skirt framing system which is suspended from the floor joist of the mobile home.
Still a further object of the present invention is to create a free floating bottom track system for the skirt framing, so to adjust to contours in the slope of the ground.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a faster and more efficient way to secure the skirt framing to a mobile home such that it is parallel to the mobile home.
To achieve the foregoing objects the skirt framing assembly for use on a mobile home includes a plurality of telescoping studs. The skirt framing assembly also includes a plurality of tracks, wherein the studs are placed within the tracks. The studs are fastened to a side wall of the tracks. The skirt framing assembly further includes a brace which is connected to the telescoping studs on one side thereof and a bottom of the mobile home on the other side.
One advantage of the present invention is that the top of the stud is able to pivot within the top bracket of the framing system.
A further advantage of the present invention is that the adjustable studs are used on edge such that an edge of a stud extends outward and the skirting is connected directly to the edge of the stud for greater stiffness and durability.
A further advantage of the present invention is that the bottom track of the skirt framing system is not fixed to the ground which allows for better conforming to a slope underneath the mobile home.
A further advantage of the present invention is that the skirt framing system is a suspended system from the floor joist on the house.
Still a further advantage of the present invention is the ease of creating a parallel appearance of the skirting with the mobile home wall via the bracket system.
A further advantage of the present invention is the reduction in cost of labor in installation along with greater durability.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.